OBJECTIVE:To identify correlates of controlled hypertension in a largely minority population of treated hypertensive patients.
DESIGN:Case-control study.
SETTING: Urban, public hospital.PATIENTS: A consecutive sample of patients who were aware of their diagnosis of hypertension for at least 1 month and had previously filled an antihypertensive prescription. Control patients had a systolic blood pressure (SBP) Յ 140 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) Յ 90 mm Hg, and case patients had a SBP Ն 180 mm Hg or DBP Ն 110 mm Hg. 96; 0.99, 3.88). A secondary analysis found that patients with Medicaid coverage were significantly less likely than the uninsured to report cost as a barrier to purchasing antihypertensive medications and seeing a physician.
MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:
CONCLUSIONS:The absence of out-of-pocket expenditures under Medicaid for medications and physician care may contribute significantly to BP control. Improved access to a regular source of care and increased sensitivity to medication costs for all patients may lead to improved BP control in an indigent, inner-city population.KEY WORDS: inner-city patients; hypertension; access to care; regular source of care.